Connector for flanged sheets abutting endwise



1956 o. w. HOVEY CONNECTOR FOR FLANGED SHEETS ABUTTING ENDWISE Original Filed Sept. 20, 1951 III A I I his Af/omey.

United States Patent CONNECTOR FOR FLANGEE) SHEETS ABUTTING END'WISE Otis W. Hovey, Pittsburgh, Pa., assiguor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Original application September 20, 1951, Serial No. 247,439. Divided and this application December 19, 1952, Serial No. 326,828

3 Claims. (Cl. 189-85) This invention relates to a building construction and, in particular, to means for connecting the abutting ends of flanged sheathing plates.

This is a division from my abandoned application Serial No. 247,439 filed September 20, 1951, for Eave and Gable-End Construction for Panel-Type Building.

The object of the invention is to provide a connector of the character indicated which is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and capable of maintaining a rigid joint indefinitely.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description and explanation which refer to the accompanying drawings illustrating the present preferred embodiment. In the drawings,

Figure l is a partial elevation showing the connector joining the abutting ends of adjacent sheets or plates;

Figure 2 is a partial vertical section taken along the plane of line II-II of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken along the plane of line IIIIII of Figure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, a wall of a building or other structure includes spaced struts or studs 48. The struts are sheathed with horizontally disposed elongated metal sheets 50 having overlapping flanges 51 bearing on the struts and secured thereto by screws 52.

My invention concerns a connector for uniting the abutting ends of adjacent sheets 50 at an end-to-end joint I between them. Clips or loops 54 of channel section are attached centrally to the back of each sheet adjacent the end thereof which abuts an adjacent sheet. An E-shaped connector stamping or key 55 includes outer tongues 55a and a central tongue 55b having a flanged strip 56 welded thereto. With the abutting ends of adjacent sheets alined, the connector is applied to the inner face of one sheet and pushed therealong until tongue b and strip 56 pass through both clips 54. Both tongues 55a and 55b and strip 56 will then overlap the joint and the flanges of strip 56 will be tightly wedged in the clips 54. The outer edges of tongues 55a are flanged to fit snugly against flanges 51 of the sheets 50 and the tip of the tongue 55!: is bent inwardly to avoid interference with the end of the adjacent sheet.

Although I have disclosed herein but a preferred embodiment of my invention, I intend to cover as well any change or modification therein which may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A structural joint comprising a pair of elongated metal sheets abutting end-to-end, both having a channelsection loop at the abutting ends thereof, and an E-shaped sheet-metal key in flatwise engagement with one of said sheets, the spaced upper and lower portions of said key extending across the plane between said ends outside of said loops and the mid-portion of the key extending through both said loops and fitting snugly therein.

2. The structure defined by claim 1 characterized by said mid-portion being of channel section.

3. The structure defined by claim 1 characterized by said sheets having bent-up flanges extending along their longitudinal edges, said upper and lower portions of said key having bent-up flanges fitting snugly within the flanges on the sheets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,164,643 Hale Dec. 21, 1915 1,623,641 Sixta Apr. 5, 1927 2,304,126 Skeel Dec. 8, 1942 2,461,648 Macleod Feb. 15, 1949 2,607,449 Daniels Aug. 19, 1952 

